Harry's Day Out
by Paprika Sinuritah
Summary: Harry and his friends go for a trip to Hogsmead to have a break from the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts. They uncover a secret that will change their lives... No slash.


Harry's Day Out:  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron sat, wrapped in warm clothes, in a lonely corner of the Leaky Cauldron, one of there favorite places to be on a Saturday. 'Its bloody cold!' Shivered Ron. 'I wish I'd got some of that Pepper-Up stuff from Fred and George!' He gave a huge sniff, and blinked blearily at a ugly little hag woman sitting at the front counter. Harry coughed. 'I think you'd be wishing you were cold again.' Hermione peered at the Menu, her bushy brown hair looking like a bird's nest, after traveling through the wind. 'Well,' She said 'there's Frog Liver, Dragon Chops, Skunk Tails, and-' Her eyes widened 'I don't believe it! They've got Hippograff Steaks!' She looked horrified. 'I didn't know people ate Hippograffs!' Ron looked mildly surprised. 'Well, yeah,' He said 'It's a delicacy. But-' he grinned at Harry 'I don't think Buckbeak would be very happy!' 'Well' said Hermione 'I expect it tastes awful. I'd never eat it! Not even if my life depended on it! I don't think I could stand the shame. Eating one of Buckbeack's brothers... the very idea! They should make it illegal! I'm very surprised that the minister of magic hasn't made a law! Hippograffs are becoming more and more rare... anyone who eats a Hippograff is a murderer!' 'Right.' Said Ron getting heavily to his feet. 'I'll bear that in mind. I'll go order. Harry?' 'Ummmm... what'd you think?' He asked Hermione, running his finger down the menu. 'I don't think I'll try the Skunk Tail...Oh no! Forget the Hippograff Steaks! Oh ... this looks good, Blast-Ended Skrewt Kebabs!' 'WHAT?' Yelled Ron loudly, seizing a menu at his elbow and staring hopelessly at it. The whole pub had gone silent. 'No!' Said Harry, softly chuckling to himself. 'Joke Ron.' Ron's ears went red as he stared at the curious faces around the pub. 'Thanks.' He murmured angrily. Eventually, Harry decided to try the Dragon Chops, and Hermione decided on the Frog Livers. 'I hope they aren't anything like the Frog Livers we had to disembowel last week in Potions.' She said anxiously. While Ron went off to order, Harry and Hermione kept themselves amused with a game of Exploding Snap that they had brought. By the time they had finished their first game, their eyebrows were singed, and there were scorch marks all over the table. 'Better get rid of those.' Said Harry, nodding towards the scorch marks. Hermione whipped out her wand and muttered something, and the scorch marks vanished. Harry's stomach rumbled. They had been waiting at least ten minutes. Where was Ron? But, more importantly, where was the food? Usually, the Leaky Cauldron took just minutes to magically produce the delicious food that they ordered. Hermione must have been thinking the same thing, because a moment later she said; 'I'll go and see how Ron's going, shall I?' She set off and wound her way around the tables, and then disappeared behind the counter. Which left Harry by himself. He stared around the resturaunt. There were two hags, sitting in a corner, eating what looked suspiciously like human toe-nails, four pixies gibbering to themselves a few tables away, some grade three's from school on the other side of the resturaunt, and some dark-skinned wizards Harry had never seen before, all wearing long flowing purple robes with gold lace. 'Cannot beh-lev it bahss!' One was saying, speaking with a strong African accent, 'I thought theh sad dat dere were Hyena Burgahs!' Harry stared at them for a moment longer, and then peered over a table of what he hoped wasn't goblins that had just seated themselves a table away from him. He couldn't see Hermione, or Ron, or (more importantly) the food.  
  
He was sitting there for about five more minuets (all the while getting hungrier, and hungrier) When Hermione and Ron appeared from behind the counter. Hermione was carrying three large butterbeers, and Ron was carrying the food, three large plates, one with two large red, juicy looking chops (Which had to be Harry's Dragon chops), a bowl full of a strange looking orange soup, where steam came out every couple of seconds, (Harry realized that it was bouillabaisse, Ron's favorite soup), and another plate with two small, purple strips of meat, with a small pumpkin on the side (Harry supposed it to be Hermione's Frog liver, but thought briefly that it looked nothing like the ones they used at school, then remembered that they used raw ones.) Ron looked a bit pink in the face, and Hermione looked nothing short of livid. Ron plunked down the plates, and Hermione slammed down the drinks, spraying them all with butterbeer. 'Hermione!' Spluttered Harry as they seated themselves next to him. 'Sorry Harry.' Said Hermione distractedly; wiping a large amount of butterbeer off the table with a blue cloth she just conjured out of the air. 'What's up? How come you both took so long to get all the food?' Asked Harry, helping himself to his Dragon Chops, and Butterbeer. Ron shot Harry a "You-Shouldn't-Have-Asked-That" sort of look, then said casually 'Oh, just some goblins terrifying the house elves. They wanted more food, and ate everyone's order, so the House Elves had to make it all over again, and they aren't allowed to do magic, so it took a while but...' He seized his bowl and started shoveling large spoonfuls of his soup down. Hermione looked angrily at Ron, and then turning to Harry said 'They have house elves in the Leaky Cauldron! Can you believe it Harry? House elves!' Harry tried not to laugh. Last year, Hermione had found out that there were house elves working in Hogwarts, and had started up a club called "S.P.E.W". Something about house elf rights. She had been laughed at, jeered at, but had insisted on going about and making people join. 'How many times Hermione?' Said Ron impatiently through a mouthful of bouillabaisse, 'House elves like working for humans! They like-' 'Try the Dragon Chops Harry.' Said Hermione, ignoring Ron and pointing to Harry's untouched food. Ron looked furious, but Hermione didn't seem to want to pursue the subject. Instead she poked at her purple strips of meat. 'Are they supposed to be purple?' She asked, looking slightly revolted at the food. 'I thought they turned brown when cooked...' Ron snickered, but then quickly turned his snicker into a hacking cough. Harry took a mouthful of his chops, and found them to be quite tasty. He shoveled more down. Ron seemed to be watching Hermione with great apprehension as she cut herself a piece of Frog Liver and raised it to her mouth. Her revolted look changed to one of delight, and she immediately started cutting herself more. Ron snorted back into his bouillabaisse.  
  
'Well.' Said Harry after his first Dragon chop 'This Dragon Chop stuff isn't too bad! I hope its not illegal or anything though.' Ron started to say something, but stopped and waved to someone behind Harry's back. 'Al'right Ron?' Said a loud booming voice. Harry turned around in his seat. 'Hi Hagrid.' He said, as the huge, hairy form of Hagrid, came striding over to their table. 'Sit down.' Harry pointed to a space next to Ron. Ron hastily moved over, as Hagrid nearly sat on top of him. He beamed at them. "How're yeh? Haven't seen yeh since the feast las' night.' Hermione smiled. "What have you been doing lately?' She said. 'Oh, noth'n, just look'n after fang. Been prepar'n for yeh classes.' He added. Hermione gave him a weak smile. Ron mouthed something to Harry, which looked suspiciously like 'I hope it isn't blast-ended-skrewts!' 'What ya got there Harry?' Hagrid asked looking cheerfully at Harry Dragon Chops. 'Er, Dragon Chops.' He said grinning a Ron. Hagrid's face fell, and he looked horrified at Harry's food. 'Harry! Yeh can't be eat'n...Are yeh?' Harry nodded, and Hagrid quickly looked away. Harry felt a bit bad. Hagrid had always wanted a pet Dragon, he loved them more then anything else in the world. The fact that Harry was eating one for lunch didn't fit very well with his passion for them. Ron stood up, and whispered something in Hagrid's ear. Hagrid turned to gaze at Hermione, who was starting on her second strip of meat. He frowned at her, and then glancing at Ron's food as a huge orange bubble exploded with a sickening plop hastily stood up, causing the whole table to nearly tip over. 'Well, better be off.' He growled shortly. 'Nice ter see yeh.' They waved him off with cheerful smiles, but the moment he was lost from sight, Hermione frowned at Ron. 'What ever did you tell him Ron?'  
  
Ron stretched lazily, and patted his stomach. 'Aaaaah...I feel really full.' Hermione looked down with disappointment at her empty plate of Frog Liver. 'That frog liver was actually really tasty.' She said. 'I think it's the nicest thing I've ever had! I wonder if I could recommend it at the school?' 'And make the house elves work even harder?' Said Ron slyly, knowing how sensitive Hermione was about the house elves, working at Hogwarts for no pay, even though they liked it. Hermione shot Ron a look of pure venom, causing him to offer to clear up. Harry helped, even though he knew that the plates and mugs would soon magically disappear after use.  
  
  
  
'Right' said Ron, 'where to now?' They were standing in a busy street, and freezing to death. They had just come out of The Leaky Cauldron, and were looking for somewhere else to explore. 'How about in there?' Said Hermione, nodding towards a little shop with large windows, and a rusting sign with peeling gold letters that said  
Lorence Librarys 'Are you kidding?' Said Ron savagely 'Like we want to spend our weekend in a library? Please!' 'It was just a thought.' Said Hermione in a hurt voice. 'How about in there?' Said Ron, looking around, and spotting a larger shop with one big window, and a big bright sign that said QUIDDITCH GREATS 'Fine with me!' Said Harry, and they rushed up to the shop. Letting themselves in, they glanced around. It was a large, seemingly freshly painted British racing green room, with huge wooden shelves, full of brightly colored books such as; Quidditch- A Guide To The Game, and Why In The World Do We Fly Brooms For Sport, and 1007 Quidditch Cheating Strategies. 'Hey wow,' Said Ron, walking over to a large blue book on one of the shelves, 'look! Quality Quidditch Quaffles!' He flipped the book open, revealing pictures of new models of Quaffles. 'Hey, look at this one!' Said Ron, his eyes widening. 'Look, they've given it spikes and everything to make the game harder... oh look, they've made it spit Hinky Punky blood...' Hermione wrinkled her nose. 'Hinky Punky blood?' She commented, 'Sounds like a wacky quaffle.' Harry jumped as a hand fell on his shoulder. A hansom young man of about twenty-five, with red curly hair and large brown eyes was staring down at him in a friendly way. 'Can I help you with anything friends?' The young man had a strong Irish accent. He tossed a wink at Hermione, who smiled shyly, and went as red a glass of Vincent Voccles Vampire Veast. 'Oh, no thank you sir.' Said Harry. 'We were just-' 'Well I'll be!' The man jumped in amazement. 'Are you... 'arry Potter? A pleasure to meet you, to be sure! I'm Andrew Watson, and my sister-' Harry found himself shaking hands, once, twice, and three times. 'Oi! Susan, its Harry Potter!' The man called over his shoulder, before clapping an arm around Harry arms, and steering him over to the counter. Harry gaped as a beautiful young woman came around the counter. She had long curly brown hair, large round brown eyes, and a round girlish face. She batted her eyelashes, and held a delicate hand out to Harry. 'Oh, a pleasure to meet you Harry, I'm Susan.' Harry blushed. 'Oh, nice to meet you too-' At that moment, Cho Chang and her friends came into the shop. Cho Chang was a very pretty fifth year that went to Hogwarts. She waved to Harry and disappeared behind some shelves, her friends twittering away. 'Well now young master, what can we do for you?' Said Andrew, striding around to behind the counter. 'We have everything to do with quidditch in here!' he said proudly, 'Everything!' 


End file.
